BearSleuth Spoiler Free Comic Book Bundle Week Twenty Eight

I charged over to my local comic book store this week, I knew it was going to be tough. I waded through the crowds of fans, so many people looking for a Batman or Superman fix. By the time I got to the shelves they were bare. No Batman Issue Fifty or Lois And Clark Issue Six. Unfortunately, this means we’re stuck with Marvel comic only this. Over in the red corner, the Stand-Off hype train continues! There are still some great things on the shelves this week and more that a few issues you need to have on your pull list, but only one can be the BearSleuth pick of the week!

All images are screen shots taken from the Marvel and DC comics app [Accessed 25/03/2016]

The problem with a crossover event involving several continuing series is that it has to deal with all the continuing stuff whilst also handling the event. This may sound like I’m stating the obvious but it’s a serious problem and when a writer fails to deal with it a book can feel bloated. This is the case with All-New All-Different Avengers this week as anyone who hasn’t read all the standoff tie-ins and the entirety of the series to date will be lost within the first few pages. I don’t really feel like Waid had much input in this issue, except the opening interaction on the few few pages. This feels more like an exposition issue trying to get the. Team where they need to be for the next point of Stand-Off. If you’re not bother about the event I would probably avoid the issue.

BearSleuth Pick Of The Week: Hyperion Issue One By Chuck Wendig and Nicole Virella

In a week with so much hype for a Superman it’s a wonder that so few people have snapped up this premier issue. Hyperion Issue One is one of the best Superman stories I have ever read. That’s not an entirely factious remark either. Wendig takes a character who started as a cheap jab at Clark Kent and putting him on a path far more interesting than many the Man of Steel previously tread. I won’t go into too much depth her but it’s fair to say that if you enjoy Superman then you will enjoy this book. Add in Nicole Virella’s visceral art style and this book is irresistible! Snap it up before it becomes a cult classic!

Illuminati Issue Five By Joshua Williamson and Kev Walker

I have a vague feeling this series is going to get cancelled very soon. Call it a veterans hunch. There’s just so much missing when it comes to character interaction. The book was leading up to a climax in this issue and it just fell so flat. The series is heading into Stand-Off and I doubt it will come out of it with the same team of characters or writers. Williamson has been lumbered with a set of E-listers with very little appeal that he has been unable to take much further. Kev Walker’s art is a nice vainer but it just doesn’t cut the mustard. Hopefully the team will get on something better soon, personally I’d suggest Ghost Rider but who knows.

New Avengers Issue Eight By Al Ewing and Gerardo Sandoval

Stand-Off has been unable to deliver any major cataclysmic changes up until this tie-in issue as the New Avengers take a dark turn. With Rick Jones and the Agents of Shield guesting the book manages to balance all aspects of the story and set a new status quo for this corner of the Marvel Universe. Ewing has turned a b-list team into a really interesting group of contrasting characters which well worth any readers time. Sandoval skilfully renders the entire cast of characters in the issue making this the most enjoyable chapter of the Stand-Off crossover to date!

Obi-Wan And Anakin Issue Three By Charles Soule and Marco Checchetto

This week Greg Pak challenged comic book reviewers to look at entire story arcs instead of focusing on single issues and it’s issues like this that make me agree with him. Obi-Wan and Anakin Issue Three is perfectly good. It continues the string momentum of the previous issues but there is very little to say about it past that. It’s more of an expository issue, there to give us all a breather before the next action packed instalment. Soule handles it well and Checchetto maintains the steampunk aesthetic. If you’re invested in the series you have probably already grabbed it, if you’re not and you haven’t then consider grabbing this series in trades as its well worth you’re time.

Star Wars Issue Seventeen By Jason Aaron and Leinil Francis Yu

Jason Aaron gets Star Wars. I honestly believe he gets it more that J.J. Abrams and a lot of people who worked on the most recent Star Wars film. His run on the Star Wars series so far has examined the characters we know and love, taking them to places and scenarios that add a depth unseen in the films. Any fan of the classic Star Wars books needs to be reading this series and if you’re not then you need to get on it. Yu has captured each of our favourite characters in an almost magical level of detail. Get on it people!

Ultimates Issue Five By Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort

It’s taken a little while for this series to gain traction but now it’s hitting with the full force of a punch in the face from Galactus and I adore it! Al Ewing is examining the very fabric of existence while keeping things relatively light and enjoyable. I have never read a series like this and defies classification. In this issue, Rocafort really stretches his muscles, creating a few panels which will go down in history as simply breath taking. We’re taking a trip back into Kirby-era surrealism here and if that makes your heart skip a beat with excitement then you need to grab these books!

Uncanny X-Men Issue Five By Cullen Bunn and Greg Land

I’m still trying to decide what to make of this series. I like the direction and the writing seems solid but it’s really missing an edge. Unfortunately, I think this problem lies squarely at Greg Land’s feet and I can’t think of how to resolve it without moving him off the book. This series should be the edgy fringe but it’s just not there yet. Bunn throws in some of the other X-Men in this issue which keeps things fun but I’m really interested to see where this team ends up after the Apocalypse War cross-over as that could give it the shake up it needs. In the meantime, the X-Men need support so I personally want to urge you to buy this issue, even if it’s a little too weak to garner a recommendation.

…That was this week’s BearSleuth Spoiler Free Comic Book Bundle!!! Check back on Monday for a new BearSleuth Opinion Piece!!!